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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144238">There's Always a Catch</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/incognitoinsomniac/pseuds/incognitoinsomniac'>incognitoinsomniac</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Endeavour (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chores, Cowboy Peter Jakes, Established Relationship, Fishing, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Romantic Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:22:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/incognitoinsomniac/pseuds/incognitoinsomniac</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter and Eddie are falling into a comfortable relationship even if they can only be together when out on the range. When they stop at a river to rest and let the cattle graze, Eddie decides it's time for Peter to learn how to fish.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Jakes/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fluffy February 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>There's Always a Catch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a part of a larger fic involving Peter Jakes in America that has been in my WIP graveyard for some time. Hopefully one day I’ll get to post all of it. Only time will tell.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"We'll stop here." Eddie brought his horse to a halt near a grove of trees. They had been riding for hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter stopped his horse short next to him and leaned back in the saddle. He pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket placing it between his lips as he patted his pockets for his lighter. "Why here?" he mumbled through the precariously dangling cig.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good fields for the cattle. Flat raised hill for camp. And that part of the river is known to have good fishing." He pointed at each area as he spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter couldn’t deny it was a beautiful spot to camp. He found his lighter and lit his cigarette. With a quick flick of his wrist, he closed the lighter and returned it to his pocket. He took a quick drag before speaking, "Don't know how to fish. Guess I'm setting up camp then." He pulled his reins ever so slightly to the left tapping his heals against his horse's side prodding him to head toward the hill Eddie had identified. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whoa, not so fast." Eddie reached over and grabbed up his reins. "Today is your lucky day, greenhorn."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They set up on a flat bank where the river was wide and the current slow. Going through the basics first, Eddie explained what kinds of bait and lures attracted which fish. How to hook bait. Where certain fish would be found in the rivers. Then he handed Peter one of the fishing poles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've got your bait on the hook. Now you cast. Pull back and fling it forward," he instructed. Then he showed him the motion a few times before casting his own rod. The lure sailed over the river dropping into the water near one of the areas he'd pointed out earlier on the other side with a satisfying plunk. "Now you try," he offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The weight and flex of the rod felt strange in Peter’s hands. And the hook moved unpredictably. Dangerously. He tried to move in the same motion. But the hook swung wide nearly catching Eddie on the ear. Peter pulled the rod short and the hook plopped disappointingly into the muddy bank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey watch!" Eddie warned. He jammed the end of his fishing pole into the mud. Then he motioned out toward the river miming the movement again. "Intentional movements. Direct in the line you want it to go. Slow. Then fast. It's all in the wrist. Here." He stood behind Peter, kicked his boots to adjust his stance a bit, then laced his fingers between Peter's on the fishing pole. His other hand gently rested on Peter's hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth was inviting. Peter could feel Eddie's breath on his neck. He chuckled. "You didn't need to come up with some training ploy just to hold me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's not," he began to snap, then paused, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder. "That's not what this is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ahuh", Peter muttered unconvinced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Listen if you can fish then I will put up the tents."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter balked, "I offered to do that from the start."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And we both know that you and tents don't get along," Eddie chimed with a joking prod to his ribs. He was right. And Peter hated it. He couldn't seem to get the hang of setting up a tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll also collect the wood and wash the laundry and dishes," he added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were a lot of chores. All for Peter to fish, which honestly seemed like the cushier of all the jobs. As far as Peter could tell, it was trial and error while standing on the shore, looking at the world, waiting for fish to bite. Maybe there was more to it he was missing. There had to be a catch.  He turned slightly to Eddie and asked, "You're serious?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes! Fishing takes forever and it's boring," Eddie groaned.  "I hate it. Even worse is cleaning the fish. It's so smelly. You'd have to do that and cook them too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was the catch. And Eddie was doing a poor job of convincing him. "Don't go into sales work, Eddie. It's not for you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please, Peter," he begged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laundry and dishes. Peter hated how washing pruned up his hands. All tent set up and wood collecting too. Two tasks he was pretty terrible at. He never could find good firewood. It was always wet or rotting. If it turned out that he liked fishing, it was an amazing deal. But Eddie really didn't want it. So he pretended to be unconvinced. Turning in Eddie's arms, he looked back at him directly. With an exaggerated frown he said, "I'll need more convincing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will you?" Eddie raised an eyebrow. He'd seen through him immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes," he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is my eternal gratitude not enough?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Possibly," Peter considered with a facetious air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grinned mischievously, "I have some other ideas in mind."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand left the fishing pole and hooked a finger under Peter chin to bring his mouth to his. His free arm circled his waist to pull him in close for a kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter leaned in smiling into his kiss. Now this he hoped he never got used to. Eddie's kisses were always so sweet and tender. They warmed him through to his core. He let Eddie kiss him a few more times before he pulled back with a grinned. "That should do. If I'm any good, that is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie chuckled and stole another kiss. "You're plenty good."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"At fishing, you knob." Peter nudged him with his hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie giggled into his shoulder, "You'll pick that up too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Only because you're an excellent teacher."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Flattery will get you everywhere," he crooned. A warm thumb skirting across Peter's stomach alluded to what everything might mean. Eddie's voice became serious, "But fish first. Focus."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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